Improvement in piano sound-boards



C. F. 'I. STEINWAY,

PIA-N0 sown BOARD.

No.180,671. Patenit'ed Aug.1, 1876.

NJETERS. PHOTO-LITHGGRAPHER, WASHlNGTON. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN F. T. STEIN WAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO SOUND-BOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,671, dated August 1, 1876; application filed July 2'2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN FRIEDRIGK THEODOR- STEINWAY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sounding-Boards for Piano-Fortes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 represents a transverse vertical section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination of a binding-bar with the edge of the sound ing-board of a piano-forte, said edge being cut otl" in an oblique direction, so that the binding-bar forms a solid abutment for the fibers of the sounding-board, and that, by its action, the fullness of the tone, particularly of thetreble-strin gs, is materially increased.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the sounding-board of a piano-forte, which is supported by the standards B B, to which it is firmly secured in the usual manner. The edges a a of my sounding-board are cut off in oblique directions, and with these oblique edges are combined binding-bars G 0, which are secured in position by screws b b, or by any other suitable means. Said binding-bars are either made of wood or of metal, and their object is to form abutments for the fibers of the soundingboard.

By the vibration of the strings an undulating motion is imparted to the longitudinal fibers of the sounding board, whereby the tone produced by the vibrating strings is increased.

In piano-fortes as heretofore constructed the edges of the soumling-board are out off square, so that the ends of its longitudinal fibers are left unsupported, and thereby the efl'ect of the sounding-board is reduced. By cutting off the edges of the sounding-board in an oblique direction, and securing to the same the binding-bars G 0, all the numerous fibers which compose the sounding-board are firmly connected together, each fiber being supported at its ends, and thereby the strength and fullness of the tone, particularly for the high registers, are greatly improved.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a binding-bar, O, with the oblique edge of the sounding-board of a piano-forte, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 13th day of July, 1876.

o. F. rnnonon STEINWAY. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

